Best all around auto loading shotgun - Waterfowl, Upland, and Sporting...

I've seen a couple threads like this on here but they seem to be dated and don't include the shotguns I have been looking at or newer models.

A little background, I currently have a Remington 11-87 Super Mag, and I do a lot of waterfowl, upland and dove hunting. Also, I do a LOT of sporting clays and would love to have an all around gun I can carry to go hunting in the morning and clays in the afternoon without having to carry multiple shotguns. I use 2 3/4 shells 95% of the time and 3 1/2's most often for geese, so that kicks out the M-2 and like guns. Remington says you can use the 11-87 Super Mag with a barrel seal activator. to shoot light loads, but I can't get it to cycle even heavy dove loads with the B.S.A. so I sent it to them, spent $106 and it doesn't shoot any better now than it did before. So, I'm getting a new gun and using the 11-87 Super Mag as a boat anchor.

For quite a few years I have been looking at:Benelli SBE IIBeretta A-400 Extrema

And now I am interested in the Browning A-5 but can't locate one to shoulder and see how I like the humpback receiver nor can I find anyone personally who has fired one to ask questions about it, only generic comments online regarding them, and yet they sale so quickly no one has any in stock. Also have heard a lot of good things about the Benelli Super Vinci but don't know many folks who have them.

I just wanted to get everyone's feedback as I am hoping to bring a new gun home this weekend and start breaking it in before dove season and early goose season opens in a couple weeks.

Look at the Browning Maxus it works with all the loads you use, is light enough to carry all day in the uplands and is a great waterfowl gun too. I shoot sporting clays with mine a lot recoil is light as well.

The Remington VersaMax uses the shell length to expose/cover gas ports and modulate the gas flow in the recoil system. Longer shells block off more ports and send less gas into the recoil system...shorter shells expose more ports, allowing more gas into the recoil system for consistent function with even the lightest 2 3/4" loads.

i bought a new browning A5 3.5 inch and like u i couldnt find one to shoot let alone hold. but i love it. all my buddys been shooting it and the old hump back design is just right where it needs to be when pulling up to shoulder it. AWESOME gun..!!!

Go with a Beretta. I have fired several, own two, and have nothing but fantastic things to say about them. They shoot everything from heavy game loads to the light "100 round value pack" stuff for doves and clays. If there is one drawback, they are on the heavier side. That being said, they are reliable, point well for me, and cycle everything.

@Amish Amy - Thank you, I will look into the Maxus, for some reason I don't think I realized it was made in a 3 1/2 chamber.

@Terry - I haven't heard much about positive about the VM, and after my experience with my 11-87 Super Mag, I'm not sure I want to give anymore of my money to Remington. I know they put a lot of marketing into the gun, just haven't met anyone in person who actually bought one.

@rodeostar83 How does it cycle everything you put through it? I like using the bulk 100 packs of Federal or Winchester for sporting clays and that is what I am having the most problem cycling, have you have any luck cycling it? Also, I've heard with the humpback you can either nail anything and everything or you can't hit the broad side of a barn. Has it helped your shooting quite a bit? I am a pretty good shot, I would say going 40-45/50. But wouldn't mind having something that is easier to view down the barrel.

@Windjammer I have seriously been starting to lean toward the Beretta since I can't touch and feel a A-5 and I have heard that you have to be careful with the 100 pack bulk loads of Federal/Winchester and that is 9 times out of 10 what I shoot when I am shooting sporting clays and/or dove. So I want something that can cycle that without issue.

i just bought the SBE II about a month ago. ive only shot light loads at clays and its had no problems. Ive only shot a few 3" duck loads to see how they pattern. it is a little lighter than the a400 and alot slimmer, which is why i went with it over the a400. nothing wrong with the a400 which my buddy owns and i got to shoot also.

Any Beretta is going to have more heft than a Benelli. The gas and piston system adds some weight and bulk. However, because the gun is slightly heavier (a pound maybe), it does a better job of absorbing recoil. Think of an object in motion hitting a skinny guy vs a big guy- which is going to move more? I will say, the A5 (tried a friends) does point well for me, but I just absolutely love my Beretta.

Hammer1 and Windjammer -- Thanks for the additional help. I actually was at Bristol this weekend for the race and stopped in at Bass Pro and Gander Mountain on the way home and shouldered a Maxus which was very nice and I obviously like the price better than any of the other mentioned. Also, I shouldered the A-400 which I have shot before and really liked it, a buddy has it, whom is one of the worst at ever cleaning a gun... that said he has never had any issues so that speaks a volume to me. At Gander Mountain they had 3 - A-5's in stock, and two were in that new Shadow Grass camo which is pretty but retro looking at the same time. It did shoulder and point very nicely, I was very impressed. But the A-400 keeps sticking in my mind, I have kind of ruled the SBE II out as I don't have very good luck, and with all the research I have done, about 30% of people seem to not be able to cycle light loads/bulk packs while the rest don't have any issues at all. Seems strange to me, and it could be the 30% aren't holding it correctly. I don't know. The gun manager as Bass Pro was trying to put me into a VersaMax saying it is the only gun that will cycle anything, which I have heard how the gas ports work, but I don't think I could sleep at night after buying another Remmy.

Any other information on the A-400, Maxus and A-5 would be awesome! I still don't know anyone who has fired an A-5 to verify that it can and does cycle without issue anything from the 100 bulk pack light loads up to the 3 1/2 mags.